Dursun Yıldız, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Water Policy Association (SPD), stated that they must first protect the water resources and natural environment.
“Then we should change our usage habits and use water more efficiently. At the same time, we should improve our institutional capacity to manage water by utilising technological developments and digital change,” Yıldız said.
THE GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH A WATER POLICY INSTITUTE…
Yıldız reported that Water Policy Association carries out national and international studies on water and related food, energy and environmental security issues. Stating that the ultimate goal of the Association is to establish a ‘Water Policy Institute’, Yıldız noted, “We have organised many conferences to raise awareness on the efficient use of water at primary and high school level and that we have contributed to various projects in cooperation with NGOs and universities in this respect.”
TÜRKİYE’S WATER RESOURCES UNDER THREAT…
Yıldız also warned that the country’s water resources are rapidly decreasing and the annual amount of renewable water per capita is around 1,300 cubic metres. Highlighting that this situation indicates that water scarcity is approaching, Yıldız explained, “Precipitation, water potential and population are unevenly distributed in Türkiye. While the eastern and central Black Sea regions do not suffer from water shortages, the amount of water per capita is low in many regions in western Anatolia, especially in central Anatolia. Most of the population in the country lives in the western provinces, but more than half of the water resources are located east of the Samsun-Adana line.”
THE NEW INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE TO MANAGE WATER NOT GAINED A LEGAL FRAMEWORK…
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Türkiye will lose 20 percent of its water resources by 2030 and will be among the countries suffering from water scarcity.
“The water policies we will implement are directly related to ensuring the water, energy, food and environmental security of our country. We are trying to strengthen our legal and institutional infrastructure in this regard. We have decided to manage water at the river basin scale in an integrated manner. Our water management, flood and drought action plans are almost ready in 25 river basins,” Yıldız added…